Overview:
David pleaded with God to rescue him from destruction because he bore reproach and rejection by his brethren for the Lord’s sake. Praying that God would requite the inhumanity of his oppressors, he looked forward to universal praise and restoration.Structure: (EBC)
I. Lament
A. Prayer Out of Personal Need (vv. 1–4)
B. Affirmation of God’s Knowledge [of his sins] (v. 5)
C. Description of his disgrace for the Sake of God (vv. 6–12)
C′. Ask for deliverance for the Sake of God’s Servant (vv. 13–18)
B′. Affirmation of God’s Knowledge [of his insults] (vv. 19–21)
A′. Prayer for God’s Judgment on the Wicked (vv. 22–29)
II. Hymn
A. Personal and Communal Praise (vv. 30–32)
B. Affirmation of God’s Present Care (v. 33)
A′. Cosmic Praise (v. 34)
B′. Affirmation of God’s Eschatological Deliverance (vv. 35–36)
Observations:
(1) v.4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, outnumber me.
They make me repay what I did not steal!
Twice the psalmist mentioned that his enemies were numerous. The psalmist was in a atypical difficult situation.
(2) v.26 For they harass the one whom you discipline;
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish.
(NET)The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.
Reflections: Do I have similar experience? Have I ever doubt whether I should cry out to God to help? I doubted that if this is the result of my sins, I am undergoing the discipline, shall I still ask God to help. The answer is certain from the example of Psalm 69. No suffering needs to be endured by myself. We can always come before God.
Audrey
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